Fish Catching Travel
Sorry about the lack of content this week, but it has not been the best of weeks for me. Initially I was going to fish the Gulf Friday but a friend wanted to catch some redfish on Saturday, so it was off to Coleto on Friday. And then my week continued as it has when my buddy cancelled on the Saturday redfishing trip. So I spent the day Saturday watching college football.
**********************
Friday morning was our first cool morning of the fall. A front blew through about 3 or 4 am and there was still lightning off towards the coast when I headed out from the house at daylight. Arriving at Coleto it was apparent the lake is trying its best to keep coming up slowly but surely. The wind was out of the north at about 15 mph and a high dry sky from the high pressure had moved in. One thing I will say about that is, finally! It is not the most ideal bass fishing weather, but who cared, it was nice to fish without sweating a gallon an hour. The water temp was in the mid 80’s all over the lake, it will probably stay that way until we get some really cool nights.
It only took about an hour to see that the fish were just not having it. I had 6 or 7 blow up on a buzzbait, completely missing it. I tried slowing it down, but that didn’t help. So the logical choice was the Strike King Swim Jig and the watermelon red plastic. To my utter amazement not even 1 bass took a pass at the Swim Jig, very unusual. Next it was the plastic and with my superior skill I managed to miss the only bite I got on that. At this point I was getting a little frustrated. I then tossed 2 different crankbaits, a Red Eye Shad rattle bait and the 2.5 Square Bill without a bite. As the few bites that morning came on points, it was point hopping from there on.
Finally a couple ate the buzzbait, and as usual they were those nice healthy Coleto bass.
One thing about the buzzbait it catches a nice average size.
Then for the next hour it was nothing. So out came the spinnerbait and on the first windy point I caught a small one. Things were looking up, or so I thought. After starting up lake it was point after point all they way to the dam and up the other arm. It truly was a lesson in how a high pressure cold front (even though it was not “cold”) can have a serious effect on bass.
No matter where I tried, or what I threw, they were just not having it. But the weather was just awesome so I soldiered on. Finally at 2:30 without a bite for over a couple of hours I threw in the towel. I have not had that slow a day on Coleto in a coon’s age. But there were a couple of other things that happened that signaled fall is on the way.
Oh the horror! Overnight the coots returned. I am sorry but I just hate those things. They tear up grass off the bottom, eat the good part, whatever that is, and then the rest is left to float and cause havoc when you are trying to fish some types of lures in that mess. And of course they always gather up and do it on some of my favorite fall banks at the lower end. They probably rode that front down south from wherever coots hang out, so they are here to stay.
Then I saw a Whooping Crane. and it was awesome. They are huge birds and it was only the second time I have seen one. He was just flying along up the lake and it would have been cool if he had landed as I had the long lens with me. But I couldn’t get that lucky.
And one real sign of fall on Coleto is the return of the really big alligators. Of course they haven’t “returned” from somewhere, they just feed at night. One of the coves up lake has a couple of the biggest ones in the lake, and it is the only place I have seen really big gators hanging out together, and today was no different. There were 2 on a little point at the mouth of the cove. As I came around the point the one exploded in a huge boil and the other one stayed there with his nose sticking out before he sunk out of sight as I got real close. I have always been intrigued by alligators. No feelings, no mercy, they are killing machines. What a cool creature.
So in spite of only catching 3 it was a wonderful day to be outdoors. We are so close to breaking this summer pattern. We just need some cool nights to get the lake going. The reports I have read or heard from the Gulf had the jetties on fire with fish. Good catches of reds and trout have come from back lakes, it is on.
Sorry but I do not have a clue what is in store this week. I have a friend in need, and it may take a couple of days, or maybe the week, to get his problem resolved. As he is my friend I will be with him this week doing what I can. So there is no way I can make a fishing plan, but I will get out somewhere. Nothing much else to report other than I am studying the map in preparation for Port Mansfield next week. Hard not to get excited about that. And Faye and Steve are down at POC for a couple of days of fishing so we will get a report in the next couple of days from them. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
